Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

(Nov. 9, 2006) -- When the NFL's free-agent signing period kicks off in March, it will do so in a way the league, its players and its fans never have witnessed.
A remarkable eight teams are a startling $30-plus million under the salary cap and another eight are $20-plus million under it, according to financial projection sheets witnessed Thursday.
More teams will free up even more money once they start trimming players from their payroll in February. But even if no players get cut, more teams than ever have money to burn.
Leading the way are the Arizona Cardinals, who are projected to be an incredible $38 million under the salary cap, though the team has only 46 players signed for next season.
Right behind the Cardinals are the San Francisco ***** at $37 million under the salary cap, the Tennessee Titans at $35 million, the Minnesota Vikings at $35 million, the Buffalo Bills at $33 million, the St. Louis Rams at $31 million and the Green Bay Packers at $30 million, according to documents.
With the salary cap scheduled to increase to $109 million, and with teams managing their financials in more prudent ways, more organizations will have more room than ever before. Now the good players who hit the market this winter will cash in.
The list includes Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney and linebacker Cato June, Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, Bengals defensive end Justin Smith, Bills cornerback Nate Clements and Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez.
The Colts will be able to use their "franchise" tag on one player, so it's highly unlikely Freeney will be allowed to go anywhere, freeing June to land big dollars in whatever city willing to pay him the most.
Gonzalez also has been discussing a contract extension with the Chiefs for months, but those talks, for now, have hit a roadblock. Kansas City could opt to slap its franchise tag on Gonzalez, but that number still would be prohibitive. Plus, Kansas City also needs to re-sign its defensive end Jared Allen, a former fourth-round pick that has emerged into a top-flight pass rusher.

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

I know its a lot of money but I honestly would love to see Freeney, June, and Samuel on this team, they'd be automatic upgrades just like Spoon, but we'd have 3 immediate HUGE upgrades. Yes, we had some good acquisitions, but these acquisitions (if made), would be HUGE!

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

our cap number is misleading because leonard isnt under contract and he is going to cost plenty. if we let him go, we have to replace the production, which will be borderline impossible in one guy. if we tag leonard, thats about 8 mill i believe. keep in mind bulger is a free agent after 2007 and really needs to get extended now.

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

Where should this money go you ask? Anywhere besides this defense is useless. As far as I'm concerned we should sign the following.

1) Lance Briggs- This guy is a beast end of story. I'm thinking that if we sign him and draft Patrick Willis then we could possibly become a very good 3-4 defense. I wouldn't mind if we signed Adalius Thomas instead of Lance Briggs. But it will take a lot of money to bring these guys in considering they're starters.
2) Leonard Little- We can barely get a decent pass rush, so we need to keep all the talent that we can get.
3) Marc Bulger- The only guy on this team that has stayed constant through out the year. I never want him to hit the free agent market.
4) Londan Fletcher- Let's bring our old boy back home.
5) Nate Clements/Asante Samuel- Both of these guys are naturally gifted athletes. As someone who lives in New England I see alot of Samuel. I can vouch for him in the fact that he is an awsome cover cb.

Know I realize that we don't have all the money or positions available to retain these guys. This is just a wish list of someone who wants to see a great defense be fielded for once in a long time.

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

dr defense, given that we have both spoon and pisa, why would you want to sign both fletcher and briggs? What do you intend to do about a second defensive end, or another means of getting a pass rush? I am not opposed to signing a linebacker, but one is enough. We are in pathetic shape at defensive end, we are getting no pass rush.

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

Well first about Fletcher. That would be if we couldn't get either Briggs or Thomas. Or if we could sign Briggs or Thomas then we sign Fletcher as so that we can played a 3-4. (Briggs/Fletcher/Spoon/Pisa) I don't see that happening in the future though. As for defensive end I'm fine with starting Little and Adeyaju. As for depth at that position I think we could either pick someone up later on or draft someone. As for soldifying the pass rush we need to get a quality group of DT's. I think Kennedy is blooming into the perfect DT that you look for to be a pass rusher. I'm not really seeing anyone worth wild in signing at NT. I'm looking for someone like the Patriots Vince Wilfork to play NT as a massive run stopping machine. So I think that our best bet would to be targeting someone in the draft with a high draft pick. For example New Endgland's starting front 3 are all first round draft picks, and it shows. As for guard, I think that we have the perfect player, we're just not willing to play him. I think that Mark Setterstrom is a great player. He helped solidify a great line at Minnesota. He helped Laurance Mauroney (who we all know from the patriots) make 93 td's. And usually the RB runs behind the guard so that tells you what type of potential this kid has if we would play him.

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

Originally Posted by Dr. Defense

1) Lance Briggs- This guy is a beast end of story. I'm thinking that if we sign him and draft Patrick Willis then we could possibly become a very good 3-4 defense.

Uh, except we'd still need to find the "3" portion of the 3-4. Considering our current front four can't hold up against the run or get adequate pressure as a group, I don't exactly like the idea of taking one of them away.

Originally Posted by Dr. Defense

(Briggs/Fletcher/Spoon/Pisa)

Sorry to disagree, but I don't like that from a LB perspective at all for the 3-4. You've got three linebackers with size concerns in Fletch, Spoon, and Pisa. Briggs is a good addition, but you don't have that big pass rushing 'tweener that is the anchor of many 3-4 LB groups (Merriman, Ware, Porter, etc). I just don't think the above group works in that scheme.

Originally Posted by Dr. Defense

I think Kennedy is blooming into the perfect DT that you look for to be a pass rusher. I'm not really seeing anyone worth wild in signing at NT. I'm looking for someone like the Patriots Vince Wilfork to play NT as a massive run stopping machine.

Uh, Kennedy is playing nose tackle. He's 6'4" and 325 pounds, which actually makes him bigger than the "massive run stopping machine" Vince Wilfork. He's not the guy you look at when you're talking about a pass rushing DT. That's why we signed Glover, and he has yet to live up to expectations. Wroten is young and could contribute in that role but it'd be a risk to put all your money in that basket.

Originally Posted by Dr. Defense

As for guard, I think that we have the perfect player, we're just not willing to play him. I think that Mark Setterstrom is a great player. He helped solidify a great line at Minnesota. He helped Laurance Mauroney (who we all know from the patriots) make 93 td's. And usually the RB runs behind the guard so that tells you what type of potential this kid has if we would play him.

Maybe, maybe not. For being the perfect player, Setterstrom sure got by a lot of teams as he fell into the seventh round. I don't think you can ignore upgrading that position because you're banking on a late round guy to be a steal. Besides, I don't think we'd be starting Steussie and trading for Adam Goldberg if Setterstrom was as good as you imply. Maybe he develops, but again, I'm not going to pass up other options on that chance.

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

i saw Tom Mack 2 weeks ago at an autograph show, he looks good and is ready to play,so theres our guard,jack youngblood told me the leg has finally healed and he is also good to go,thats our DE,and now that the tv show Hunter is long over i belive we can also pick up Fred Dryer for the cost of a plane and free beer after each game, i have a call in to Nolan Cromwell and i am told that as long as we make sure he gets to his weekly therapy session,Hacksaw Reynolds would be our linebacker. there you go problem solved and we got them all under the cap and we are much improved.

Re: Rams in position to be a team with a lot of cap space next year

Originally Posted by Nick

Sorry to disagree, but I don't like that from a LB perspective at all for the 3-4. You've got three linebackers with size concerns in Fletch, Spoon, and Pisa. Briggs is a good addition, but you don't have that big pass rushing 'tweener that is the anchor of many 3-4 LB groups (Merriman, Ware, Porter, etc). I just don't think the above group works in that scheme.

I'm not crazy about that idea either. In theory we can get away with smaller, speedier linebackers right now because the four linemen in front of them are going to keep blockers off. If that isn't happening right now, how can we think it would happen if we pulled one of the guys off the line and stuck in another linebacker? Briggs is a 240 lb. weakside linebacker whom I do not believe would be suited to the outside of a 3-4.